Cookin' My Way Back to the Country

As much as I am all for the peppermint laden treats to roll in – I love them, I really do, it doesn’t seem like Christmas to me until I’ve had my fix of oranges. The little ones particularly. I love a good seedless satsuma and will eat them until my fingers are as orange from the peel as a Cheeto-binger’s are from Cheeto dust.

I always remembered when Christmas time came along and we received our box full of Florida oranges from my great uncle Bill – THAT was the moment I knew Christmas had arrived. Now that Uncle Bill is gone, it leaves my heart hanging just a tad this year, because the predictable and comforting box of oranges doesn’t grace our doorstep every holiday season.

When my copy of Jessica Segarra’s (The Novice Chef), new cookbook – 100 Mini Donuts – arrived on my door, I ripped the packaging open with a little, perhaps, too much gusto and started flipping my way through it immediately. It’s a THING OF BEAUTY!

I met Jessica earlier this year here in Seattle and we became fast friends. She is an utter delight, absolutely hilarious and she really knows her way around a donut pan!

Since I’ve been trying a fake-it-til-you-make-it maneuver to get into the Christmas spirit – I knew these Cranberry Orange donuts would be just the thing to get me out of my funk and belting out Christmas carols with Michael Buble playing in the house on repeat. It worked like a charm.

Jess’s donuts were completely tender, full of flavor and dang does that girl come up with some SUPER FUN combinations! The Kenan and Kel, anyone? Yeah, hello 90’s Nickelodeon kid variety hour! And The Elvis with peanut butter and banana is totally next on my list.

This girl has MASTERED the baked donut. She is the Donut Master.

And for one lucky Country Cleaver reader you can become the next Donut Master with a copy of Jess’s 100 Mini Donuts cookbook. These are just the thing to brighten your “hole” day!

Directions:

If using an electric donut maker, preheat according to manufactuer's instructions. If using donut pan, preheat oven to 350 and grease donut pan.
In small bowl, whisk together milk and sour cream. Set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
In large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy - about 1 minute. Add egg, orange juice and orange zest. Beat for 30 seconds and scrape down side of bowl as needed.
Then alternating flour mixture and milk mixture, combine all ingredients until just blended. Add in dried cranberries at the very end and beat until distributed evenly.
Transfer batter to a piping bag or Ziploc bag with the tip cut off.
Carefully fill each donut indentation 3/4 full. Bake 7-9 minutes for mini-donuts or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Bake 11 minutes for standard donuts). Remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Place wax paper under wire rack to collect drippings for an easy cleanup. Then in a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and orange juic until smooth. Dip the top of each donut into the icing and transfer to wire rack. Let set for 5 minutes. Serve immediately. Each donut can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days - but they are best served fresh.

Original recipe by Jessica Segarra, The Novice Chef. Slightly adapted by Megan Keno to account for Standard Sized Donuts.

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*fineprint* The giveaway will end 12/18/12 at 5pm PST. A winner will be chosen by random and contacted via e-mail. They will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. I was given two copies of this book, one of which I am giving away to you. I adore Jessica Segarra and she is a rockstar. All opinions are my own – and I have some high opinions of this talented and wonderful woman. And her dog, Brody. Aka Bro-cor.

Wow! It is so hard to pick just one fav donut! I love applecider spice donuts, pumpkin donuts, apple friters, but I guess my alltime fav donut would be the cake crumb donuts we used to buy at Beker’s Donuts in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They made a cake donut,heavily glazed, and then rolled in strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla cake crumbs ! THEY WERE AMAZING!!! Maybe the Novice Chef could try to recreate those donuts !!!!

Anything chocolate or fruity is a favorite of mine! Some days chocolate is the only answer, on others springy fresh fruit scents and flavors appeal more.
And, since I only recently discovered how easy it is to make baked donuts myself, even in a tiny trailer (my home is 19′ long),I find myself searching the Net and FB to find more recipes to try! The Cranberry Orange Donuts are now on my must try list! Thanks for the recipe!!

You know those yeast-based cinnamon twists that are covered in cinnamon sugar? Those are my favorites. After that, it’s the Boston Creams (sort of like eclairs) or a good vanilla-laden cruller. I love Jessica! So happy to see you featuring her donut book. It looks amazing.

My favorite donut is the old-fashioned donut from the local donut shop where my grandmother lives in Glendora, CA! I seriously only eat donuts when I travel to CA because they are so much better (homemade. cake donuts!)

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Welcome to Country Cleaver, where country comfort and convenient cooking come together. Follow my adventures of self-reliant country cooking and baking from scratch with a little life mixed in for kicks!